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Sunday, April 6, 2008

Interview with Barbara Joe Williams

CA: Barbara, I just wanted to say thank you for taking time out to visit here this week. It is rough being a stay at home Mom but it is also more rewarding than most people could ever imagine. Good for on your writing, and I hope you continue in your literary career!

Author Pen Name: Barbara Joe Williams

CA: What genre(s) do you write?

BJW: I mainly write romance novels, but I also have a couple of non-fiction titles on the market. Last year, I published an anthology titled How I Met My Sweetheart featuring eighteen authors from eight different states. And I published a guidebook titled A Writer's Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing which is doing quite well.

CA: Why do you write the stories that you write?

BJW: Well, I've been an avid reader of romance novels all my life. My mother used to read the Harlequinn romance books when I was a teenager. So I would slip and read them at night while she was sleeping. And since I've been married for over twenty years, I definitely believe in keeping romance alive.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

BJW: I've always wanted to be a writer, but I just never had the courage to actually sit down and try to write a full length novel until after I turned forty. That's when I reevaluated my life and decided to do the one thing that I'd always wanted to do regardless of the consequences.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

BJW: My inspiration for writing came from a desire to read positive romance stories featuring married African-Americans. I went to the bookstore on one of shopping ventures looking for a story showcasing a married couple that were dealing with some hard times but were determined to stay together. To my surprise, I didn't find many romance novels featuring married people so I decided to write one of my own. I thought that the time had finally come for me to write the type of story that I was looking to read.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

BJW: When I'm working on a story, I tend to be more creative and productive at night after my husband has gone to work, my daughter is in bed, and the dog is asleep. I like to have a quiet atmosphere and I don't have to worry about the telephone or the doorbell ringing after ten o'clock at night. Fortunately, I'm able to be a stay-at-home mom so I have some time to rest during the day when I sat up late doing my writing.

CA: I love meeting other stay at home mom’s… and you’re exactly right! Nothing can get done until everyone in the house is sleeping ;)

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

BJW: Excited...

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

BJW: When I'm not writing, I like to catch up on my reading and take mini-vacations with my family. I keep a stack of TBR (to be read) books on my nightstand. I also like doing seminars and workshops on writing, publishing, and marketing to help aspiring authors. And I spend a lot of time on the Internet trying to meet other authors and book club members.

CA: How many books have you written?

BJW: So far, I've completed writing nine books. However, only six of them have been published. My latest novel was released in September and it's titled Courtney's Collage. It's a collaboration with another author named Sherille Fisher. I recently signed with an agent, so I'm hoping that all the books will be published or re-published in the future. Currently, I have three additional novels that I've started and my goal for this year to finish writing them.

CA: Which is your favorite?

BJW: I guess that I would have to say that my first book titled Forgive Us This Day will always be my favorite because it's the one that started it all. It's also the one that mirrors my personal life the most.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

BJW: My characters tend to come from a combination of real people and my imagination. Then, sometimes I can watch a movie and get so involved with the characters that it makes me wonder what happened next. And that's how I get a lot of my story ideas.

Congratulations on being as motivated as you are, and especially on signing with an AGENT! Wooooooooohooooooooooo!!! I love hearing success stories from other authors. I've published 2 YA fantasy novels in a series and book 3 is about to go live in the next few weeks, but I'm self-published with a mile of motivation and dreams!

I'd LOVE to get a signed copy of your book "A Writer's Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing"! I've done fairly well with my own, selling about 1500 copies combined of my first 2 books in 2 years, as well as raising 3 teens on my own AND working a fulltime job, but I'm ALWAYS looking for new and innovative ways to market! Could you please email me at grizlegirl@sbcglobal.net with a price of your book and acceptable payment methods? I do have a paypal account...

May you have many successes Barbara Joe and Crystal, once again, another wonderful interview!!